Cookery Maven Blog

Seriously Good Bacon & Pancetta Jam

Bacon jam, I've never heard of such a wondrous thing until three weeks ago. And I owe the whole revelation to Martha Stewart (and an internet search for a 'pork in a slow cooker' recipe).

Home

When my eighteen year old self imagined her bright and exotic future— there wasn't a chapter, a mention or even a whiff of small towns, five kids, Northern Wisconsin or a Unimog. Her version of home was a decent Manhattan apartment, a salon full of friends and snappy chatter, some grown-up amber liquid in a lowball glass and stacks of books and New Yorker magazines.

A Sugar Bush Margarita Will Take The Chill Off 22 Below Zero

I have a fondness for tequila, specifically a double Patron on the rocks with three limes. I believe in good quality spirits and leaving well enough alone— no Sex on the Beach, blue Curaçao (what is that stuff??) or Long Island Iced Teas for this girl.

Al Capone's Roast- Even Mobsters Need To Eat

Ted and I spent a lot of time aimlessly driving around northwestern Wisconsin when we were newly married— looking for old farmhouses and cabins, bars in the middle of nowhere and exploring Wisconsin's back roads with our Gazetteer.

It's Not Boun Giorno Sausage But It's Close...Enough

I have high standards for Italian sausage, thanks to Boun Giorno Italian Market in St Paul. Their Sicilian sausage is, hands down, the best sausage I've ever eaten but it's four hours away from Bayfield.

Braised Red Cabbage With Quince, Apple & Cranberries

Ted walked into the kitchen just as I remarked to myself (out loud) about the beautiful symmetry of the head of cabbage I had just cut in half. Thankfully, he's used to my mutterings in an empty room but my cabbage love was a new one.

Venison & Pork Bacheofe

When Charly offered me two venison roasts, I knew exactly what to make for dinner. Earlier in the week, Ted asked me if I could find a recipe for the Black Forest's Alsatian casserole and while I had no luck with the Black Forest version, I found an intriguing recipe for an Alsatian Bacheofe.

Our Morning At The Ice Caves

Jack leaves tomorrow— back to Madison to complete the second half of his freshman year. I wanted to do something epic to recognize his leave-taking; some collection of experiences he can bring to Madison, package away in his dorm room and pull out when he needs to remember why Lake Superior will always be home.

Chicken Wellingtons

Any excuse to use puff pastry in my kitchen is a good one, as far as I'm concerned. And the added criteria of wrapping the puff around nearly anything is most definitely a brilliant idea.

Before The Ice

I took this collection of photos on November 24 when the lake was restless— heaving itself on shore and instantly morphing into ice. The deafening roar of wind and water was breathtaking (literally, it was so windy I couldn't hear Will) and awe-inspiring.

Cheddar Beer Bread With Apples & Caramelized Onions

Beer bread— bet you haven't heard that term since the 90's. It reminds me of St Elmo's Fire, my favorite Ralph Lauren barn coat and Anne and Franks's cabin in Cumberland. Specifically, a beer bread mix in a white cloth bag in the kitchen— next to a little brown bag of Carroll Shelby's chili mix.

Little Worlds

The world beneath our feet.

The Duck Dinner That Wasn't.....Dinner

I've had three major dinner disasters: two with my brother Tom (a horribly tough braised pheasant and an Easter lamb gone wrong) and my newest miss— the duck dinner that wasn't dinner with Julie and Charly.

Spicy Beer Mustard

I'm still hoarding condiments and not only am I hoarding, I'm creating. Ever since I made my first batch two years ago, store-bought mustard just doesn't....cut the mustard.

Winter Salad With Apple Essence Dressing

Carrots are one of my favorite winter vegetables, right up there with red cabbage. And if we are talking about roasted carrots, they are in the running for my favorite food, ever.

Life At Twenty Below Zero

Arctic Vortex— it's the catch phrase of the week. Evidently, there has been a breach in the jet stream and some very cold Arctic air made a break for the Gulf of Mexico.

New Year, New Ravioli

My success with lasagna noodles emboldened me to try my hand at making ravioli. It was far easier than I expected— it's not much different from making pot stickers or cream cheese puffs.

A Big Old Bowl Of Texas Red

Believe it or not, I won a chili contest five years ago at Mt Ashwabay. And believe it or not, I didn't write down the recipe.

The Last & The First

2013 went out with a bonfire, a seriously kick-ass batch of Texas Red, my last magnum of 2011 Lapierre Morgon, homemade corn dogs, good cheese and good people.